Town spill chance

Chic Bates described it as a throwback to the cup glories of old.

This was pulsating stuff. An absolute belter.

Town belied their lowly league position to completely outplay Oxford for the best part of an hour - a Steve Kerrigan goal in each half putting them just 27 minutes away from round three.

They could have been three up in the first 15 minutes. Almost inevitably, it came back to haunt them. Eventually Oxford would have to do something.

But their escape looked beyond them until it actually happened. 

Town had played so well that it felt like defeat. Drama seemed to be everywhere, even before kick-off.

First there was the coronation of new boss Kevin Ratcliffe.

Then there was caretaker Bates, signing off by plotting the undoing of another caretaker boss - Oxford's Micky Lewis.

Then there was the team selection.

Back came 21-year-old David Hughes from suspension. Out went out of sorts veteran Mark Winstanley. And 16-year-old Jamie Tolley on the bench. A popular - and brave - selection. And the kids were more than alright.

Pace and effort would be the hallmarks of the afternoon and Town needed just seven minutes to expose an Oxford defence which, on this nervy showing, must give Ratcliffe's men great heart for the replay.

Pass-master Tony Rigby found Kerrigan, onside and open, and the Scotsman seized his chance brilliantly, firing across goal into the far corner, giving Paul Lundin no chance.

The dream start had happened, that quickly.

Seven minutes later it should have been two when Mickey Brown's cross was met by Kerrigan.

His point-blank lunge was blocked by Lundin's leg - but the former Swedish number two keeper didn't know much about it.

Seconds later, Rigby should have made no mistake when Kerrigan's clever lay off put him clear eight yards out.

His split-second hesitation allowed Lundin to spread himself, and Rigby agonisingly shot at him.

Only 21 minutes had gone when Town created yet another golden chance - Rigby's corner met by the incoming Tretton's bullet header, with Lundin almost impossibly scrambling over to his post to deflect behind.

Lundin soon gave his men a breather - by picking up a booking for timewasting.

For a while, he was spared further action - but only by several offside flags against Kerrigan and Steele.

Half-time approached with more chances.

First Brown beat Lundin to Rigby's ball before his goalbound header was hacked clear by Neil McGowan.

Then Steele, Kerrigan and Wilding's break was foiled largely because the trio had almost too many options.

Lambert then heralded half-time with a second terrible slice in as many minutes, after he had carved his way into the area with just Paul Edwards to beat.

Town's half-time message was to keep it up - and it seemed they had finished any Oxford hopes within eight minutes of the restart.

Hughes' brilliant 40 yard pass caught Lundin in the 'corridor of uncertainty.'

With Kerrigan bearing down, he backpedalled and after the Town striker had seemed to go fractionally wide when rounding him, delirium broke out when he slammed home an angled effort past Les Robinson at the near post.

So cometh the hour, cometh the man - former Meadow hero Steve Anthrobus.

The man who, if he'd had his way in the summer, would have been facing Oxford on Saturday.

And his height immediately gave the visitors a badly-needed alternative.

His first contribution was to badly scuff a 20-yard shot on the turn, but within three minutes of arriving, his knockdown from a long ball set up midfielder Matt Murphy to send a precision 18 yard strike past Edwards.

And as Oxford continued to pick up the pace, 13 minutes from time came the devastating blow.

Joey Beauchamp's blistering effort was brilliantly parried by Edwards, but sub Jamie Cook nipped in to spark some pin-ball in the area before Rob Follund arrived to stab home.

Town's players were devastated afterwards - but a standing ovation should say it all about their magnificent effort.

It had been a proud day, and as a smiling Bates ever-so-gently joked later: "Still unbeaten!"

A few more performances like this, and there should be a few more smiles around the Meadow.